Overview

abstract

Objective Visfatin is a novel adipokine originally described as a pre-B-cell colony enhancing
factor. Visfatin is produced by amniotic epithelium, cytotrophoblast, and decidua and is
differentially expressed when fetal membranes are exposed to mechanical stress and/or
proinflammatory stimuli. Similarly, visfatin expression is dramatic up-regulated during labor.
The aims of this study were to determine whether visfatin is detectable in amniotic fluid and if
its concentration changes in gestational age, intra-amniotic inflammation (IAI), and labor.
Study design In this cross-sectional study, visfatin concentration in amniotic fluid (AF) was
determined by sensitive immunoassay in patients from the following groups: 1) Midtrimester
(n= 84); 2) Term not in labor (n= 27) and in labor (n= 51); 3) Preterm labor (PTL) who
delivered at term (n= 35), 4) PTL without IAI who delivered preterm (n= 52); 5) PTL with IAI …